We all love a good and undisturbed sleep. But there are times when we have to wake up in between such sleep due to cramps and muscle pain in the legs.
Or, after a long day of working while standing or sitting down for long hours with no breaks, you just want to kick back and relax those legs or ease the unending backache.
Most times, the idea of relaxing is by getting a good nap or for someone who has been standing all day, sitting down, and massaging the legs. But what if there was a better and more effective way of relaxing your legs?
One that can allow you to two-time; for instance, it will enable you to relax your legs and at the same time watch a movie or read a novel.
Such an effective way is the use of a Leg Elevation pillow and going further, you’ll be seeing what a leg elevation pillow is and how useful it can be to your health.
What is a Leg Elevation Pillow?
A leg elevation pillow is a pillow made of quality foam with a memory foam layer at the top which is soft and fits nicely to the shape of your legs. It has an optimal density that prevents collapse from your weight and is designed to maintain its shape even after usage for a long period.
It is designed primarily to raise your legs when seated or while laying down, reducing the pressure in your legs and lower back and ensuring an even flow of blood in the legs.
What Are The Benefits of Using a Leg Elevation pillow?
By placing your legs in an elevated posture, you ease the pressure on them, thereby allowing for even circulation of blood in the legs and It also helps relieve back pain.
Below, we’ll be considering the various reasons why you should use a leg elevation pillow.
1. Ensures and improves blood circulation
Medical research has shown that being constantly hydrated and also the continuous usage of supplements like green tea, herbs like ginger, Hawthorne turmeric, etc, and vitamins like vitamin E and Vitamin B helps in increasing blood flow in the body. But at times, this isn’t enough to ensure effective blood flow in the lower body.
Sleeping with elevated legs, using a leg elevated pillow will serve as a solution to uneven blood flow in your legs. This position uses gravity to move stagnant blood from your feet to your knees, then to your upper legs, and back to your heart for recirculation.
Even during yoga, positioning your leg in an elevated manner has shown to be quite useful in draining old blood from the feet and enhancing blood circulation.
By placing your legs on a leg elevated pillow, it is in a position higher than your heart and that helps gravity in moving blood easily back to the heart, making the heart pump blood easily for the benefit of the body.
When you have stood for long on a particular spot and suddenly you feel your leg ache from poor blood circulation, you just have to sit back, relax and make use of a leg elevation pillow. It will definitely help improve the blood circulation in your legs.
2. Eases back pain
Back pain is a physical discomfort occurring anywhere on the spine or back. It can be caused by constantly working out, prolonged sitting down, sleeping in a poor position, or lifting heavy equipment.
Chronic back pain can also arise from inflammation or compression of the sciatic nerve, which follows the spinal cord down the back. Once this said nerve is affected, there could also be numbness in the legs and feet and leg pain.
Now though you can’t solve the pain the sciatic nerve causes by changing your sleeping position, such pain can be eased when you sleep with your legs elevated and what can help you achieve this easing is by using a leg elevated pillow.
After a long day of lifting heavy products or machinery, and you start noticing a tingling sensation coming from your back, it is advised that you rest and elevate your legs to ease the pressure.
3. Reduces edema pain in the feet
When a part of the body becomes swollen as a result of the accumulation of fluid, edema arises. A person with edema will have swollen, stretchy, and shiny skin. Edema in the leg or feet may occur when someone is forced to stand or sit for long hours, most especially in hot weather.
Accumulation of fluid can also be caused by lung disease that places pressure on the blood vessels between the heart and the lungs making it difficult for the heart to pump the blood for the body.
Though elevation of the legs doesn’t instantly cure edema in the legs, it can be quite beneficial as using a leg elevation pillow can help ease the swelling before you finally seek medical help.
Where your work requires you to stand all day long and that causes fluid to accumulate in your leg or feet, you should seek medical advice but for the night, you should use a leg elevation pillow to ease the pain and lower the risk of swelling.
4. Lowers the chances of swelling
Other than through medical conditions, our everyday activities can sometimes cause swelling in the legs and this is something one can experience from time to time.
Also just like how edema is caused as a result of the accumulation of fluid as discussed earlier, it could also lead to swelling in the legs. Inflammation can also cause swelling to occur in the legs.
As stated before, positioning your legs in an elevated manner above the heart can help affect blood circulation.
Also, it can help excess fluid to drain away easily, thereby lowering the chances of an increase in the swelling of your leg because by lifting your legs, you’re using gravity to remove the water in the blood of your leg and foot tissues. This is definitely another reason you should use a leg elevation pillow.
5. Lowers pressure on the veins
Cramping and sore pains can occur on the arm, legs, or feet and this could be as a result of blood clots in these areas leading to a condition called Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT).
One of the major causes of DVT is when the legs are stationed in a particular position for a long period; for instance if a person is bedridden.
As a prevention method, it is suggested that while sleeping, you have your legs in an elevated position above your heart level using a leg elevation pillow or even a random pillow.
Also where a person suffers from Deep Vein Thrombosis, research has shown that victims found the elevation method to be quite useful and beneficial in easing the pain before medical help was provided.
6. Reduces strain on heart muscles
As stated earlier, when laying down or while seated, it’s quite beneficial to use a leg elevation pillow as that enhances effective blood circulation, thereby reducing strain on the heart muscles in pumping blood for the body.
Scientifically, when standing for long hours, pressure is being put on the leg as it bears all your body weight and that could affect the circulation of blood there as well as cause blood to pool in your veins.
Laying back with your legs above the heart allows gravity to ease the stress of the heart in bringing back old deoxygenated blood which flows back to the heart for recirculation.
7. Allows for spinal alignment
A lot of people sleep straight on their back and that puts pressure on the spines. The spine of a human body is structured in the S shape towards the lower back, sleeping on one’s back goes against the curvature and can be quite uncomfortable and painful as it stresses the spine.
From this, you can deduce that you need to use a leg elevation pillow to ease the pressure off the spine. By using this pillow, your pelvis is positioned upwards, relieving the spine.
The leg elevation pillows help to give your body a good posture and when used over a long period can aid the alignment of your spine.
Is it Healthy to Use a Leg Elevation Pillow?
As seen from all the benefits that have been listed above, the answer to this question would be a YES! Sleeping with your legs elevated has over time been proven to be quite beneficial and useful to a lot of people.
Medical experts and researchers have proven that there are several health benefits to be enjoyed when using a leg elevation pillow.
For instance, it is beneficial to someone suffering from Deep Vein thrombosis in the legs, also someone who has swollen feet would find it quite useful as it would help ease the pain and reduce the pressure on the feet.
A leg elevation pillow would be helpful to a pregnant woman, to an injured person preventing health issues like blood clots, varicose veins, etc.
How do you use a Leg Elevation Pillow?
All you have to do is sit back and relax while placing your legs above the leg elevation pillow in a position that best feels right with you.
How to clean your Leg Elevation Pillow
Leg elevation pillows are made of quality foams and though the pillow cover is made stain resistant, you can however still wash it for hygienic purposes. This would keep the pillow germs free while making it fresh.
All you have to do is to unzip and remove the pillow cover from the pillow, after which you wash the cover and spin it inside the machine for it to dry. This is such an easy routine for you to follow.
Our Recommendations
It is important to note that when getting a leg elevation pillow for yourself, you should put into consideration the various shapes and sizes, also the density that suits your taste as well as one that is within your budget.
With all being said, if you’ve decided on getting yourself a leg elevation pillow, here is a list of Leg elevation Pillows to consider.
Abco Tech Leg Elevation pillow
This is highly rated on Amazon for its washable cover and firm but soft texture. It can be purchased here
Wey & Fly Inflatable Leg Elevation Pillow
This is an inflatable leg elevation pillow that would benefit a person commuting from one place to another. It is very convenient to carry around and can be purchased from here.
Elecpro Leg Elevation Pillow
This is designed with cooling gel foam and won’t cause you to heat up on a hot night. This pillow can be purchased from here.
Light ease Leg support pillow
This is highly recommended for someone who has an injured leg and only needs to prop up one leg. You can find this pillow here.
Do check any of these leg elevation pillows and give your body that treatment it deserves!
